The present invention relates generally to an E-mail address registration system and method and more particularly to a secure E-mail registration method for registering an E-mail address with an enhanced telephone service provider.
Registration of E-mail addresses is well known among service providers. Service providers routinely require subscribers to specify a personal E-mail address. This is typically completed by having the subscriber do one of the following: send an E-mail message containing personal E-mail address routing information to a specified E-mail address; use a web browser, such as Netscape Navigator, to log onto the service provider""s web site on the world-wide-web to register a personal E-mail address; spell out an E-mail address on a telephone keypad; or speak their E-mail address to a live operator.
A list server is an example of a service provider that often requires subscribers to register a personal E-mail address in order to receive mail deliveries. A subscriber is generally required to send an E-mail message to a specified E-mail address, the E-mail message requesting subscription to the list server""s services. After receiving the E-mail message, the list-server registers the corresponding E-mail address by storing the network routing information contained in the E-mail message. For more information on list-servers, see List Owner""s Manual for LISTSERV, ver. 1.8, L-Soft International, Inc., 1997, which is hereby incorporated by reference for purposes of background information.
The problems associated with known E-mail registration techniques are numerous. For example, notifying a subscriber that the registration attempt was, or was not, successful is often difficult; entering an E-mail address via a telephone keypad is not a very accurate method of entry; and, verifying that a subscribed service is being directed to a legitimate entity is difficult.
After processing an E-mail message registration request from a subscriber, notifying the subscriber that the registration attempt was, or was not, successful can be difficult. A common method of registration verification is for a service provider to send an E-mail message to a subscriber""s E-mail address confirming the registration. The network routing information contained in the subscribing E-mail message is typically used for this purpose. However, lack of a corresponding non-delivery notification does not positively indicate successful delivery of the confirming E-mail message. To further complicate matters, if the E-mail address is invalid for any reason, a service provider typically has no way of notifying the subscriber to try to register again.
Using a telephone keypad to enter an E-mail address is not a very accurate method of entry. E-mail addresses are often quite long and typically include non-alphanumeric punctuation, such as the xe2x80x9catxe2x80x9d sign (@) or the underscore (_); neither punctuation is represented on a telephone keypad. Therefore, the likelihood of error for typing in an E-mail address on a telephone key pad is quite high. Similarly, speaking an E-mail address to a live telephone operator is prone to human recording error.
It is important to ensure that a subscribed service is being directed to a legitimate entity and similarly that the subscriber""s E-mail registration is not being redirected. This is especially pertinent when the services being provided are proprietary or expensive.
What is needed is an E-mail registration system and method for registering an E-mail address with a service provider that solves E-mail address specification, verification, and notification issues commonly encountered by service provider platforms. A system is needed that provides a method for accurately entering an E-mail address, provides a method to verify that the subscribed service is being directed to a legitimate entity, and insures that the status of a successful or unsuccessful E-mail registration attempt is conveyed to the subscriber.